French Topic
French Basic Greetings & Everyday Phrases
The Golden Rule: Formality
In French, you often choose between a formal and informal way of speaking.
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Formal (Vous): Use with strangers (especially older ones), people in positions of authority, and in professional settings.
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Informal (Tu): Use with friends, family, classmates, and people your age or younger.
Part 1: Essential Greetings
Saying Hello
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bohn-zhoor | Hello / Good day | The standard, polite greeting for any time of the day. Always safe. |
| Salut | sah-loo | Hi / Bye (informal) | Very casual, for people you know well. |
| Bonsoir | bohn-swahr | Good evening | Used after roughly 6 PM. |
Saying Goodbye
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Au revoir | oh ruh-vwahr | Goodbye | The standard, polite way to say goodbye. |
| Salut | sah-loo | Bye (informal) | Just like for "hello," it's very casual. |
| Bonne journée | bun zhoor-nay | Have a nice day | Very common when parting ways during the day. |
| Bonne soirée | bun swah-ray | Have a nice evening | Common when parting ways in the evening. |
| Bonne nuit | bun nwee | Good night | Used only when someone is going to bed. |
Part 2: How Are You? & Responses
Asking How Someone Is
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comment ça va ? | koh-mahn sah vah | How's it going? | Informal. Very common. |
| Ça va ? | sah vah | How is it going? / You good? | Super informal, with friends. |
| Comment allez-vous ? | koh-mahn tahl-ay voo | How are you? | Formal. The safest polite option. |
| Comment vas-tu ? | koh-mahn vah too | How are you? | Informal, but a bit more "proper" than Ça va? |
Responding
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ça va bien, merci. | sah vah byan, mair-see | I'm fine, thanks. |
| Très bien, et vous ? | tray byan, ay voo | Very well, and you? (formal) |
| Oui, ça va. | wee, sah vah | Yes, it's going fine. |
| Comme ci, comme ça. | kum see, kum sah | So-so. |
| Pas mal. | pah mahl | Not bad. |
| Ça va mal. | sah vah mahl | It's going badly. |
| Bof. | bohf | Meh. (Very informal, expresses indifference) |
Part 3: Politeness & Essential Phrases
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Merci | mair-see | Thank you |
| Merci beaucoup | mair-see boh-koo | Thank you very much |
| De rien | duh ryen | You're welcome (informal: "it's nothing") |
| Je vous en prie | zhuh voo zahn pree | You're welcome (formal) |
| S'il vous plaît | seel voo play | Please (formal) |
| S'il te plaît | seel tuh play | Please (informal) |
| Excusez-moi | ex-koo-zay mwah | Excuse me (to get attention, formal) |
| Excuse-moi | ex-koo-zuh mwah | Excuse me (informal) |
| Pardon | par-dohn | Sorry / Pardon me |
| Je suis désolé(e) * | zhuh swee day-zoh-lay | I am sorry |
| Oui / Non | wee / nohn | Yes / No |
Note on désolé(e): Add an -e if you are a woman (Je suis désolée).
Part 4: Useful Everyday Phrases
| French | Pronunciation (approx.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je ne comprends pas. | zhuh nuh kohm-prahn pah | I don't understand. |
| Pouvez-vous répéter ? | poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay | Can you repeat that? (formal) |
| Comment dit-on... ? | koh-mahn dee-tohn | How do you say...? |
| Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | kess kuh sah vuh deer | What does that mean? |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay voo zahn-glay | Do you speak English? (formal) |
| Je ne sais pas. | zhuh nuh say pah | I don't know. |
| Bien sûr | byan sur | Of course |
| D'accord | dah-kor | Okay / Agreed |
Part 5: A Mini Conversation
Let's see how these work together.
Informal (between friends):
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A: Salut Marc! Ça va ?
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B: Oui, ça va bien, et toi ?
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A: Pas mal. Merci !
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B: À plus tard ! (See you later!)
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A: Salut !
Formal (in a shop):
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Customer: Bonjour, Monsieur.
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Shopkeeper: Bonjour, Madame. Comment allez-vous ?
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Customer: Très bien, merci. Et vous ?
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Shopkeeper: Ça va bien, merci. Au revoir, bonne journée !
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Customer: Au revoir.
Quick Pronunciation Tip
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The French "r" is a guttural sound, from the back of the throat.
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The "n" in bonjour, bonsoir, etc., is nasal. Don't pronounce the "n" strongly; let the sound come through your nose.
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Final consonants are often silent (e.g., the s in vous, the t in merci).
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